Who doesn’t love brunching with your best friends and best pup on weekends (or weekdays)? The weather is warm, the bottomless mimosas are flowing, the gossip has begun, and you have your best fur friend with you. When it comes to dining out at dog friendly restaurants, we have the perfect guide to make sure you have the perfect brunch date.
Call Ahead!
Make sure the restaurant is dog friendly. Pet friendly restaurants have places to eat with your dog like an outdoor patio to accommodate your four-legged friend but not all patios are dog friendly. If they say yes, it’s wise to make sure that your entire party size can be accommodated, including the size of your fur baby. The area might be a little cramped and depending on the size of your dog, there may not be enough space for them to lie down comfortably.
Feed Your Dog Before Heading Out
All dogs love table scraps. Their big beautiful puppy eyes tug at all our heart strings! Lord knows they know how to work us pup parents. However, STAY STRONG! Please do not feed them unless you order a specific meal for them. Many restaurants offer a special menu for dogs, but if they don’t, feeding them table scraps might be against the restaurants’ dog policy. Feeding your dog before brunch will give them a full belly and more likely nap during your meal.
Proper Table Etiquette
Restaurants have to follow health code laws so they might have a policy in place to allow dogs on good behavior. This can include dogs not sitting in restaurant chairs, eating off human plates, and being fed at the table. Following these 3 simple requests will prevent your pup from having “poor table manners”. If you order a special meal for your dog, the restaurant will prepare their meal on a disposable dish.
Leash Your Dog
Even with well-trained dogs, you never know what can happen. You might be distracted in a deep conversation with the latest “tea" and not realize your pooch decided they needed a stroll. Before you know it your dog is nose deep in the spinach dip at the next table! Not good! Unfortunately, not everyone is a dog person either. An uninvited dining guest to your neighbors table might not be welcome. Plus, play is safe if another dog is around because not all dogs play nice with each other.
Attach your dog’s leash to your wrist or chair you’re sitting in and make it short. Steer clear of the table. You don’t want to risk them running and taking the table with them. This will also allow you to have better control over them and help prevent any incidents from happening with other guests, dogs, and servers as they’re trying to work. Could you imagine someone’s food being delivered and the server trips over the leash? Attaching the leash to you will avoid any spills with drinks or food.
Keeping your dog under the table is the safest area for them and everyone else around you. Lying under the table prevents them from being in anyone’s way who is working or trying to get by.
What To Bring
There are some essentials when packing your doggy bag.
Poop bags – Dogs also need bathroom breaks so being prepared with dog waste bags is necessary. Our Scented Scoopers large dog waste bags are great to throw in any doggy bag or poop bag holder. They’re lightly scented and when the roll starts getting low, indicator stickers will alert you to the number of bags you have remaining.
Water Bowl – some restaurants might bring out a water bowl but not everyone will. Having a small bowl or collapsible bowl to throw in your bag is great for being on the go.
Water – Every restaurant has water to offer but sometimes it’s just more convenient to have your own supply for your dog. Just fill up a reusable bottle and throw it in your bag. If you use up all the water, just refill it with your glass of water from the table.
Small towel – Messes happen and having an absorbable towel handy can be helpful for a quick clean up. Dogs don’t realize when they knock over their bowls and water spills everywhere.
Leash – Keeping your dog on a short leash will guarantee your brunch party goes smooth without any interruptions. You can either wrap the leash around your chair or use our Hands-Free Leash for dogs that wraps around your waist. Our leash also includes a dispenser to hold your dog waste bags.
Poor Pup Behavior
We all have bad days! If your dog isn’t on appropriate brunch behavior, please ask for a doggy bag and head out. It’s wonderful when restaurants open their doors to our dogs but it’s wrong to stay if your dog is disrupting the environment.
Dog Friendly Restaurants
Every city has dog friendly restaurants! To find our way around, we like to use BringFido: Pet Friendly Hotels & Dog Travel Directory to locate those restaurants around the country when traveling. Click on the link and you’ll be able to search pet friendly restaurants near me in any city.
We hope you enjoyed this article. We would love to connect with you and see your doggy. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Tik Tok. Also, if you need to search for a dog friendly restaurant in your area, click the link here dog friendly restaurants near my location.